Oakland’s core is on the verge of a makeover, heightening fears about rising housing costs and gentrification in a city celebrated for its racial and ethnic diversity. Where will the new workers live in an area so short on housing?

Created to preserve the small-town patina of a city, Measure A put an end to multifamily housing. City leaders have found a way around the archaic restriction, but reforming the impetus for the housing crises doesn’t look imminent.